Song of the Forgotten
by Melissa Norvell
Summary: Ch. 5 UPLOADED. IRUKAXSAKURA. What happens to those who are forgotten? They can only lean on each other to heal, but can they face new obstacles in the comfort of each other? R&R!
1. I Tried So Hard

**A/N: Here is my little SakuraIruka fanfic. I know they aren't a very popular couple, so I don't count on getting many reviews, but I love the couple almost as much as I love KakaSaku. So, I present to you my experimental IruSaku fanfic.**

**Also, please subscribe to The Dolphin and the Cherry Blossom C2 Community if you love this pairing.**

**Basic Info.**

**Title: The Song of the Forgotten**

**Rating: PG-13**

**Pairing: IrukaXSakura**

**Warnings: Violence, Death, Angst, Drama, very sad and depressing fanfic.**

**Summary: Ch. 1 POSTED. IRUKAXSAKURA. What happens to those who are forgotten? They can only lean on each other to heal, but can they face new obstacles in the comfort of each other? R&R!**

**The Song of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 1: I Tried So Hard**

**By: Oneesan no Miroku Houshi**

The skies were airbrushed a disturbing array of charcoal colors. There were tints and shades – from an eerie fog grey to a nightmareish black. The colors swirled around in a raged battling dance of a war of light and dark.

Below the raging heavens, carnage and disarray was also present. The land was scarred and torn by footsteps and weapons, cutting into the earth's tender flesh. Blood stained the once rich soil and crimson rivers ran like bloody tear streaks through the dry, battle-ridden earth. Corpses lay around for miles, the ground becoming one huge burial site for many ninja- enemy and ally.

Bits and pieces of bodies lay littered about the massive battle field. The only things left standing was a few ninja, both allies and enemies, among the few half-barren trees that were scarcely plotted on the land.

Among the scattered bodies, one body lay with one figure holding them in their crucial hour. Sadness, confusion and a hint of acceptance shone through glassy green eyes, the shade of a gloomy and forsaken meadow.

She had to accept it, the strikes were terminal. The girl could not heal her fallen team mate. Death was eminent. They lay there, blood oozing out of the wounds, which were all in vital areas. Swords, shuriken and various other weapons pieced tender flesh, exposing it to erosion and infection as the sensation of warmth washed over their being.

Through brown eyes, subtle as the earth flesh below them, a calm and weakness shone through. The team member gulped back the mixture of coppery fluid that was forcing its way up their throat to say something to her.

"Sakura…"

The now 20 year old blinked back her caged tears. No matter what her sensei had taught her in the past, she could not help but have kindness in her heart.

This was the battlefield where many dreams would collide and whoever was the strongest would fulfill their dreams. For many, dreams died on this field, singing the Song of the Forgotten.

Forgotten dreams rest here, in the walking ground of the dead.

"Yes?" The pink haired woman asked, not wanting to believe that her team mate was going to die, forcing herself to almost be delusioned in the fact that he would pull through, or that she would wake up and everything would be normal.

But in her mind's eye, she knew that it was not true.

"Do not worry…"

She didn't know what they were talking about. In this situation, what could break her out of her despair to worry about others? Sakura wasn't sure what the dying man below her meant.

And now it comes, from the dark depths of despair, a new knowledge that she failed, failed not just herself this time- but when did she fight herself anymore? –The woman failed her team mates, they were trying, the only way how, to pretend that it didn't matter that she failed, and he was dying because of it.

Why was it that the things that we love the most, hurt us most deeply, hurt us the most and most often?

Where did he come off dying anyway? It's not as though they needed him. He was already hurt from a previous mission, and she and Iruka said that they could take on the enemy by themselves, along with other Konoha ninja. He went anyway, being the stubborn man that he was. There he lay, in a haze of death as his soul hung in the parallel of the world of dead and the world of living. While the enemy watched them and laughed.

She was forced to see.

'_Don't worry…Sakura.'_

She blinked back the unseen tears; drops of sadness slide to her cheeks and blend there with reluctant, battled tears that his fingers, cold against the woman's cheeks and fall onto the face of her fallen team mate.

He was smiling.

How could he smile when he was hurting so much?

Her breath was ragged in her dry throat, a result of battle and the knowledge that once again, she had failed someone. She couldn't do it. Not for him, not for anyone.

Not for herself.

No miracles.

Ever.

"You shouldn't stay around here." He warned.

"But-"The pink haired one protested.

"You should go. You're still separated from Iruka. He might need your help with something, or he could be hurt out there and in need of you." The male, which was being held tightly and securely in the kunoichi's slender arms.

Meadow eyes looked at him. He was slightly younger then her, at the adolescent age of eighteen. His name was Torishima Haiyato. He was lean in appearance with muscles built long and lean for endurance more then strength. Around his forehead, he wore the Konoha leaf hitai-ate, and above it, long black spikes fell and stuck up from his head, much like a porcupine.

The kunoichi knew that she should go and help out Iruka and the other ninja, but she didn't want Torishima to die alone, with no one to bid him Farewell from the world of the living. She didn't want him to be one of the souls to dance in the afterlife with those who samba in the rhythm of the tune of the song of the forgotten.

So, she stayed with him.

"I'm not going to leave you." Despite her current condition, her eyes held a certain edge of defiance to them and her team mate could tell that his words weren't going to change that one bit. He wanted to sigh, but knew all that would come up was a deep crimson.

Despite his urges to repress the fluid, it came churning up as he went into a coughing fit as the blood shot out of his mouth and sprayed into the air, specks latching on to red fabric.

A pained look crossed the kunoichi's face as she witnessed the gory sight before her and tried to calm her dying comrade down. After a few minutes he did. His breathing slowed and he began to flutter his eyes shut. Death latching onto his soul, pulling it gently from his corpse as his body deflated for the last time in the pink haired female's grip.

Sakura, once again felt helpless to do anything. She knew that Iruka was still out there, fighting the enemy. She gently sat down Torishima, and knew that soon the other leaf ninja would be there to destroy the body so none of Konoha's secrets fell into enemy hands. She didn't want to see the process in which they eliminated the body.

At this moment in time, she wouldn't be able to take it. She had already lost many friends and acquaintances today, and she knew the path of the ninja was never pretty or filled with peace.

The pink haired woman slowly arose and took a few steps away from the body, which lay motionless on the ground a distance away. Morbid eyes glanced over her shoulder as her last mourning tear fell, retracing ancient rivers of tears shed before it.

She stood in silence as the gentle winds blew; playing with her hair in the wind, intertwining the pink locks together as a few leaves blew past her form. She turned completely around, not quite ready to leave behind those of the past, but forcing herself to move on.

They were still in war, and she would worry about details later.

She would do what had to be done.

Sakura took off Torishima's headband, a memento of his existence.

She marched onward, into the field of battle, death and sorrow clinging to her heart and blood clinging to her clothes.

A distance away across the battle field, another ninja was doing his best to fend off the enemy, but not doing such a great job. The man kneeled upon one knee and panted heavily to himself. Sweat and blood mixed together in a spiraling pit of turmoil as the fierce clashing of weapons. His left arm was badly damaged, so he was only using his right to defend himself with, clutching a giant shuriken to defend whatever was left of his physical being.

There was constant clashing as his enemy was slowly bringing him to the ground. He was protecting another ninja, who lay behind him on the ground. Iruka wasn't about to give up. If the enemy was going to take the other ninja, they would have to go through him.

With one final strong stroke, Iruka was knocked off of his feet, the massive shuriken spiraling over and one of the blades struck into the ground. Fast foot steps approached the battle scene.

A sword was drawn back, ready to make the kill as Iruka hovered over the fallen ninja, covering them from the blow which was about to be struck. The Leaf Ninja clenched his eyes shut; awaiting his eminent death as the blade came crashing down upon him, ready to make the lethal, killing blow.

Shock struck through the meadows as frantic thoughts bounced around in the recesses of her mind. Thinking quickly, she grabbed the shuriken and threw it as hard as she could; it struck the enemy ninja, catching him off guard and allowing her to run over to Iruka and the other ninja, who was clinging to life underneath of him.

"Sakura, what are you doing here? " Iruka asked. "You were supposed to be with Torishima."

"…" was his only reply.

"Oh, and Sakura…"

"Yeah."

"Thank you."

"No problem, I'm glad you're alright." Sakura told him. "You're hurt, pretty badly."

"I'm fine. We've got to protect this ninja. If we can get him back with us, his wounds can be healed by the medic nin there."

"Right."

As they were both picking up their fallen comrade, ready to bring him back to Konoha, everything went black.

….

…

An eye cracked open to see everything around it in shambles. The enemies were gone. Glancing over to see the other ninja, she grabbed his hand. It was as cold as ice and held a blue tint to it.

He was dead.

She failed again.

The green eye looked over to see Iruka, who was lying on the ground, blood oozing from his wounds, and flaking from dried ones. As she came more and more into consciousness, she was reminded of the assault. The pink haired girl looked down to see that she had been stabbed, and a deeper, richer shade of red adorned her clothes. She groaned in pain as she sat up.

She knew that she'd be able to recover quickly, due to her medic ninja training under Tsunade.

A small, slender and feminine hand touched the fallen body next to her as she lay back down, trying to muster up enough chakra to make it back into Konoha. She turned to look at the figure, whose face was turned toward her.

Eyes shut in a disturbed dream sequence; she shook him lightly with one hand gripping his arm.

"Iruka-sensei?" A quiet voice was emitted.

"Iruka-sensei?" A bit louder it was repeated, in a more frantic voice.

She couldn't lose him, not today. Sakura didn't know what she'd do if she lost one more person. She could never get used to death, no matter how much she had seen, and nothing could kill the remaining kindness in her heart.

"Please wake up." Sakura's voice faded off into a whisper, as a flash of sorrow and disappointment as well as worry shot through the meadowscape.

"Ungh…" Dark eyes were cracked open.

Sakura couldn't hold it back, the crystalline tears poured from her eyes, retracing those ancient rivers, flooding them with new life.

"What's wrong Sakura?" The male asked, voice trying to hold back pain. "Where's the other ninja?" Eyes widened upon realizing that he was not beside of them.

"He's dead. I'm sorry." She cried as she grabbed his hand. Her hand shaking with the emotion she felt, griping his hand as if she let it go, she would die.

All that could be heard from her was a sniffle every once in a while and a pained gasp. Iruka's facial expression turned dim and stern as he looked down, but then softened upon feeling the warmth and grip of her shaky hand on his. A small blush crept to his cheeks.

"Sakura…"

"I'm sorry…" She sniffled. "I tried so hard…"

**To Be Continued…**

**A/N: That was two pages over what I originally wanted, but I had to finish it there. Sorry about that. I'm still working on my other stories, so please feel free to check them out. Please give me a review, I want to know how I'm doing.**

**Oh and please subscribe to The Dolphin and the Cherry Blossom C2 Community under my author name. We need more members.**

**Please review!**


	2. Partners in Destiny

**A/N: Here I go! Man! I'm in a writing mood, I've already updated two stories and posted another! I'm on a roll here! Well, on with the fanfic! Maybe I'll update Mission: Freak Out Kakashi as well.**

**Song of the Forgotten**

**By: Melissa Norvell**

**Chapter 2: Partners in Destiny**

It had been a few days since Torishima's passing, and all the kunoichi could so is look at that head band which lay across her hand. She had not been the same after that day, and Iruka had taken it pretty harshly as well. The two hadn't spoken two words to each other since that fateful day.

'_I really am sorry…' _She thought to herself. _'I should have listened. If I would've left Torishima and went to Iruka then he wouldn't be hurt…But I couldn't just leave Torishima there…Ugh…I don't know…' _Sakura sighed to herself.

The girl didn't really want to face her team mate just yet, but she hadn't heard anything from him. He was usually pretty chipper about things, even if he was a bit strict.

Throughout the day, that one factor kept gnawing at her inner most working of her mind. She couldn't get that pressing thought away. Whenever she did, her mind seemed to work up its own possible scenarios of what was happening to Iruka at that very moment, and none of them were good.

Finally it was just too much to bear, so she decided to go over and see him.

When she got there, it was an eerie kind of quiet. Knuckles rasped against the door's wooden surface. "Iruka-sensei? Are you home?" She asked.

There was nothing but a dead silence.

That was cause for concern.

She knocked again, louder this time. "Iruka-sensei! Hello!"

This time, the door knob turned slowly and a figure was shown standing in the doorway.

"Hello Sakura…" He quietly let out, in a depressed and defeated tone.

Viridian orbs saddened and she looked down. "Hello…" She replied in a toned down and saddened voice of her own. "Look, I just wanted to tell you that I'm really sorry about what happened…"

"Sakura…"

The girl blinked. "Yeah…"

"It's not you're fault. Look, don't beat yourself up over this."

"Why don't you take your own advice?" She frowned. "You look like you've been kicking yourself ever since we lost Torishima."

"I really don't feel like arguing…" Iruka replied, too depressed to even want to take the argument any further.

"Gee, whatever happened to the old Iruka-sensei?" Sakura asked. "You know, the one who always disagreed to whatever everyone else was saying, especially Kakashi-sensei's way of doing things…."

"Today's not once of those days."

"Yeah, I know the feeling actually…Hey, want to do something to get our minds off of it, or at least take away a little pain." She suggested, hoping that it would do her a bit of good.

"Maybe later." He started to shut the door in her face, but she caught it forcing her way in.

"You can't just shut me out. Can I at least come in?"

A sigh was emitted as he let go of the door, causing Sakura to almost fall through the door, but he caught her.

He let a small smile creep onto his features. "Watch yourself there."

She let a small blush adorn her cheeks as she saw that he was hugging her. Despite her blush, a part of her wanted to hug him back and tell him that it was alright. The kunoichi turned inward to face him, snaking her arms around his neck and pulling him close.

This surprised Iruka, causing him to blush a little in return. His arms moved away, but then he found himself resting them back in their original place.

Sakura tightened her hug from a loose hug to a firm and secure one. She wanted to show him that it was alright and as long as they had each other, nothing would stop them from pulling through it together.

"Sakura…"

"Its okay, Iruka-sensei. I'll try harder next time and I'll listen to what people tell me. If I hadn't have waited, I could have saved you too, but I didn't and you got hurt because of me. Why am I always the weakest link? I'm always the expendable one!"

Iruka rested his head on her shoulder. "Sakura you're not weak. You're very strong. I should've gotten to you quicker. If I had protected you-"

"See…Even you think I'm weak. You just said it yourself." The girl felt tears well up in her green eyes, turning them into pools of green liquid, spiraling around in a pit of despair.

"I didn't mean it like that. Besides, what good am I? They killed Torishima and the man we were trying to protect."

"We?"

"Huh?"

"The man **we** were trying to protect."

"I wished I felt that way…" Sakura replied.

"Look at us. We're here feeling sorry for ourselves." Iruka told her, with a voice of false happiness, as if when he put it to the back of his mind, he could let a façade shine through and pretend to be a different person.

"Ok, you weren't that happy a minute ago." Sakura pulled away, giving him a skeptical look. "Are you schizophrenic? "

"You said you wanted to lighten the mood."

"Not like that." She began to wipe a few of her tears away, but another slightly darker hand beat her to the source, gently wiping the salty water from her face.

"Huh?" Sakura froze.

"Team mates help each other, right?" Iruka said in a bit stronger voice then before, but it still seemed soft. "So I'm helping you."

"Iruka-sensei…"

"Yes, Sakura?"

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you wiping my tears away?" She asked.

"I…" He froze, not really knowing the true meaning of his actions. It was more of an impulse or an instinct to comfort then it was for any specific reason. "Don't know…" He finished.

She blinked at him.

Thinking quickly, he replied. "Can't someone just do something because they want to?"

"I guess that makes sense."

There was a pause as Sakura could feel the hand gently wiping the wet streams from her face until her skin was dry. His touch was gentle yet held certain firmness to it. She couldn't describe it. It wasn't feminine, and it wasn't truly masculine either. She liked to think of it as a happy median of the two.

She felt an odd comfort from it.

Green orbs looked into his darkly colored ones. They swirl around in black pits of hell. They had looked as if they cried old tears of the past, and maybe of not so long ago. She hadn't seen him look so miserable in a long time.

It wasn't like Iruka.

She didn't like seeing him so depressed. Sakura wanted the old Iruka back. The Iruka who was stern, but kind. He was tough but gentle. She didn't care how she felt, she had made it up in her mind that she would try to make him feel better, at least for the time she was around.

Sakura didn't even mind that they looked quite romantic, still hugging, and close to each other, with his hands on her face.

She could feel the warmth from his body, but it wasn't his usual aura. He had dull warmth to him, a lukewarm feeling. Something that was barely above cold. She was satisfied with it being just lukewarm. She wanted him to be truly warm, maybe even almost hot.

She smiled a little at the man close to her, who had a confused look plastered to his face.

"Iruka-sensei?"

"Yes, Sakura?"

"Thank you."

**TBC**

**A/N: Sorry for taking such a long time to update, but I've been busy lately. I had this fanfic on HIATUS but brought it back out. Hope you all enjoy my newest chapter! Please review!**


	3. Sweet Embraces

**A/N: Here's another chapter of Song of the Forgotten. Sorry for the lack of updates. I have a lot of current projects and it would be wonderful if I could get them down.**

**Here's a list of my current projects:**

**Mission: Freak Out Kakashi – Writing on it.**

**Lessons in Shinobi Love – Half way finished, actually.**

**A Tale of Two Pirates- Only up to chapter 5.**

**Fragment of Life II- 3 more chapters and it will be finished.**

**Hidden Affections- 2 more chapters and it will be done.**

**Erasing the Pain- 8 more chapters and it will be done.**

**Anyway, please read and enjoy!**

**Song of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 3: Sweet Embraces**

**By: Melissa Norvell**

Sakura leaned in and before Iruka had any time to protest, gave him a kiss. The man blushed and a thousand thoughts went whizzing through his head. He used to teach Sakura at the academy and had known her since she had become a genin. It was all so strange and during the course of time that they had been on the same team, he never knew that she had those types of feelings towards him.

Maybe it was a spur of the moment thing.

Maybe she was just desperate for someone to comfort her in her time of depression. When he truly thought about it, it didn't seem that wrong. He didn't kiss her back, but he didn't pull apart either. Dark eyes looked around and noticed that his hands were still on her face. Their bodies were still close together.

The kiss itself had so much emotion in it. He could feel all of her emotions: sadness, disparity, insecurity and mourning of her dead team mate and the failed mission.

Their lips parted for a few moments, allowing her to speak.

"Iruka-sensei…"

With all of the thoughts reeling through the depths of his mind, Iruka found it hard to say anything to her. After a few minutes, he found the ability to speak again. "S-Sakura…" He let out her name in almost a whisper.

"Please…"

He blinked as his mind processed her request long before she could even finish the sentence. He both dreaded and wanted her to ask him that question. So many emotions were running inside of his body. It was becoming hard to control what exactly he was thinking anymore.

Iruka hadn't felt anything for anyone in a long time. But strangely he felt something for Sakura at the moment, and he felt odd that he didn't seem to find it wrong at the moment.

"Kiss me…"

She had done it.

Sakura had completed the sentence with those words.

This seemed to snap the man back into reality a little as his mind began to scold him for what he was about to do. He could hear his thoughts berating him, saying things like 'she was your student!' or 'how could you? Get your head on straight! You're a teacher!' But the other half of his mind replied with 'But she isn't your student anymore and she needs you. Who knows? You might even need her…'

The dark haired man began to grow nervous as the two sides of his mind fought for control over his speech and actions.

"But Sakura…" He let out in a shaky voice.

Then soon found that he was mentally slapping himself for protesting.

"Don't be afraid…"

She made it sound so convincing.

And the sad thing about it is that it was working.

The pink haired girl was now so close that he could feel her breath on his face, warming his flushed skin. He swallowed hard and could feel something hard within the pit of his stomach. He shut his eyes slowly, inching toward her face and ignoring his raging thoughts. Their lips met, and it was odd mostly because of their acquaintance prior to the kiss. Neither one of them seemed to mind, and threw their inhibitions to the side.

The kiss was only a few minutes long, but it seemed like an eternity for the both of them. Somehow, Iruka didn't feel as depressed after that moment. A new sensation swept over him and he felt an odd tingle wipe over most of his body.

Viridian orbs locked on dark ones, and he found it hard to concentrate much less speak. The right side of his brain had won over the left and he let out a small yet sad smile to the figure across from him.

"Don't be sad, Sakura…"

He was wondering how he got the strength to even say that, much less where the hell it came from.

"Iruka-sensei-"

"You can just call me Iruka."

She blinked at him. "Okay, Iruka."

Why he wanted her to stop using the honorific now was beyond him at the moment, but he didn't think too hard on it.

"I need you. I don't know what to do…" Stubborn tears hung to the corners of her eyes.

"You know, I don't really know what to do either. It's ha-" He paused in mid sentence and blushed as he felt lips close to his. "Saku…" He couldn't even finish her name. After the pause, he was kissed again.

Moments passed where he didn't kiss back, but he soon gave in and closed his eyes, kissing her gently. Her lips were soft and supple. As they kissed, he could feel small wet spots hit his gloved hands.

Tears.

Sakura's tears.

He momentarily pulled away from the kiss to kiss her tears away. Iruka could feel slender arms wrap around him in a tight embrace.

"We still have each other, Sakura…"

She sniffled in response.

"I'll…" He paused. She didn't want him to protect her. Sakura wanted him to care…But he wasn't sure what exactly this was…Was it some build up of feelings, a one night stand? Or was it something more, something deeper and long lasting. There was no way to tell, but it wasn't going to stop him from saying whatever came to his mind at the moment. Explanations would come later.

"I'll…"

And yet he couldn't find it within himself to say it.

Big, green eyes looked up at him and shone with sadness, glossed by tears. "You'll what?"

"I'll dry your tears. Don't cry, Sakura. I'm here." This time it was Iruka who got close to her face. It didn't matter to her, she accepted him. As soon as their lips brushed, he spoke.

"Shouldn't we go inside? We're making a scene." He aid as his lips brushed against hers.

"Ok…" She replied back.

They both went into the house, and didn't make it very far before they were kissing again. After what seemed like half an hour, the two's mixed feelings settled more and bravery began to rise within them.

Iruka couldn't remember how, but they ended up in his room, lying on the ground. Hands began to roam over his body, which caused him to blush. He needed this, no matter what his mind said to put him down. He wouldn't go back on his word. Iruka wanted to make her happy.

It didn't matter if it was a one night stand; the only fact that mattered is that she was happy. He could feel lips, running down his neck and across his collarbone. The dark haired man wrapped one arm around his team mate and when her face was in his view, kissed her. This time he had no regrets.

This felt right, and his mind would not protest this time.

Hand roamed, kisses were planted and even a few articles of clothing were removed. For that instant in time, the two forgot about the pain they were feeling and welcomed this new sensation. After what seemed like hours, the two lay one the floor.

Iruka's back was pressed against the floor, with Sakura lying atop of him. The two were both breathing heavily and a thin layer of sweat was covering their bodies.

Slender arms hooked under his arm pits and pressed his body more into her insecurely. Sakura could hear the acceleration of his heart as she rested her head gently on his chest.

Neither one of them spoke for what seemed like an eternity. Iruka wasn't even really sure if Sakura was asleep.

Finally, he gathered the nerve to speak.

"Are you alright?" His voice was tired and calm.

"I don't know…" She replied.

"Do you regret ay of this?"

"No, do you?"

"Not exactly." He wrapped his arms around her. "Do you feel better?"

"For now."

"I know what you're saying." He ran a hand through her hair comfortingly.

"What about you, Iruka?"

"For now…"

There was another silence, as the two's breathing descended and became normal. Sakura felt warm, almost a comfortable range of body heat. She closed her eyes and thought to herself for a few minuets, before she spoke up again.

"What did we just do?"

Iruka blinked, he could feel that nervous sensation overcome him. Pausing before he spoke he responded. "I…don't really know. What do you think it was?"

'_What have I done? She's going to say that it was disgusting or something…I can feel it.' _A panic rushed itself over the man's body and he felt as if he should flee, rather then hear what she had to say. It was a moment of apprehension for him.

"Healing…" Sakura replied.

The panic was washed away with relief as Iruka spoke. "That wasn't the phrase I was expecting…"

"What would you call it then?" The girl asked lazily.

He blushed. "Making out…"

He mentally slapped himself for being so direct.

"I guess it was…" Sakura let out a tired laugh.

"At least you laughed." Iruka smiled, feeling quite accomplished at that feat.

She looked up at him. "You look pretty happy yourself."

"Because you're happy."

"Iruka?"

"Yes, Sakura?"

"What are we?" Sakura asked.

**TBC**

**A/N:Barely 6 pages, but I wanted to add a cliffhanger onto this little piece. I hope you all enjoyed this. I'll be updating a lot more frequently now that I know what I'm going to do with this little piece. Please review and tell me what you think! **


	4. Struggles of the Body and Soul

**A/N: Here's chapter 4 of this little fanfic. Hope you all enjoy!**

**Remember kiddies, this fanfic isn't for the light of heart.**

**Song of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 4: Struggles of the Body and Soul**

**By: Melissa Norvell**

'_What are we?' _

That was a sentence that ran through Iruka's head before he actually attempted to answer the question. A nervous gaze was cast down at Sakura as dark eyes met light.

"I don't know what we are…" He replied, giving her a kind smile, though his face betrayed his true emotion.

On the inside, Iruka was nervous. It's true, she wasn't his student anymore, but this type of relationship seemed forbidden and taboo. But a part of the teacher welcomed it. He both wanted and needed it. He couldn't deny that he needed someone at the moment, the recent course of events, the failed missions, and hurt and dead team mates were grinding on his nerves. He felt responsible for everything that happened.

But through it all, when he looked down at the half dressed kunoichi below him, he found a sense of comfort coming from her. She was no longer the googly-eyed girl who had her heart set on an Uchiha Clan member, but she had blossomed into a beautiful woman who both respected and understood him.

She, like Naruto saw him for him, and not some teacher who was there to get her through the first part of being a ninja.

Sakura gave him something that few people have ever given him: respect.

That's all he really asked for.

Upon thinking on this subject for a while, the dark skinned figure smiled to himself.

Perhaps there was a light in all this darkness and it lay right next to him.

"Do you feel something?" Sakura asked.

"Hm?"

"Do you feel something inside? Like a growing feeling?"

"Yes, I do."

"You think we'll have another mission soon?" Sakura asked.

"Who's to say? There's no telling." Iruka replied.

"I hope nothing goes wrong in the next mission…" She sighed.

"Me too. But we just have to show no emotion and go on."

"I can't just do that…" The girl replied, a sad expression plastered to her face. Then an arm draped over her and pulled her close.

"I wouldn't worry about it now. Let's just lay here a while." The man smiled. "I don't feel like moving."

"Me either." Sakura agreed.

The two lay on the floor quite some time, no one dared move. No one wanted to.

"So, do you think they'll give us time to recuperate?"

"Who knows?" Iruka replied. "I think I'm recuperating right now with you."

"Huh?" Viridian eyes blinked in confusion as her gaze shot up to the man's face.

Iruka looked peaceful and smiled a sad smile, trying to forget the events of the pat and move on. After all, that's what he was taught as a ninja, and he wouldn't want to disappoint Naruto. The kid adored him and thought of him as his hero and Iruka wasn't about to disappoint him.

He would be Sakua's hero as well.

**XI.**

The two only grew closer after that fateful day. They spent more and more time together, talking of the days of old, back when Iruka had taught her and what things both amused and upset them during classes and what he had thought of her.

The reminiscing seemed to have gotten their minds off of the current situation, well until the subject matter was brought up in the latter part of the conversation. It turned from happy thoughts to angst and nostalgia as they spoke of Torishima and the events of their failed mission.

The two ninja spent hours of sad tales, but with the tales of woe came hope and inspiration for each other's accomplishments and comforting caresses for their losses.

Two weeks passed and the two's bond became closer then that of any normal team mates of even that of friends.

It was something special.

Something sacred.

It was love, but neither of them really needed to say it. It was an unspoken love that the two of them shard, a sacred bond that no one could break. Not missions, not death- nothing.

As the time passed and the two recovered from their mission, many other ninja in the area were given several tasks to perform while Iruka and Sakura have been out of commission. They were all the process of recovering a set of important documents from enemy ninja.

But this type of mission could not be done with the few ninja that were on hand. As many days as Iruka and Sakura had been recovering, they both knew that it was time to be assigned a new mission.

As the days grew shorter and the day to their mission drew nearer, tension was beginning to build as Sakura and Iruka began training sessions together. They both held small training sessions that lasted a few hours each day. At first Sakura couldn't get the hang of the training, but Iruka guided her through the more tough parts of the training to get down. He even taught her a few moves that would come in handy for a kunoichi such as herself.

She trained as hard as she could, perfecting each new jutsu taught to her by Iruka, who was both her sensei and something more. Her guidance. Her inspiration. Her love.

The pink haired girl nearly drained herself of all chakra. She **_would not _**be weak. She **could not **be weak. Sakura wouldn't allow herself to make the same mistake twice. She wouldn't allow herself to let down another team mate.

Sakura would come in late, battered and weary. She'd drag herself into the room that she and Iruka now shared. The chuunin was already asleep in the futon, dark hair cascading over the pillow as he lay on his back, moonlight illuminating his muscled form.

He could hear the hollow footsteps as sandals clanked upon wooden floor. The footsteps neared, but he dared not to open his eyes. The man could hear labored breathing, for he knew that she wore herself out with her training that night, and they were summoned to see Old Man Hokage the very next day.

"Whew!" He could hear the feminine voice call from a short distance away. "Hey, are you asleep?" Sakura asked between pants.

"No, just resting." He opened his eyes, turning his face towards her. His face was illuminated by the moonlight and his hair held the sheens of pale blue. "And it looks like you could use some too."

"I think I've finally perfected that new jutsu you taught me a week ago." Sakura smiled a weary smile to him as she sat on the floor in front of him.

"Really? That's great." Iruka said, "But you need rest now. We have to go to the Hokage tomorrow to see what our mission is; no doubt it's to take part in what's been happening the past two weeks.

He could hear her panting slow as her body rested.

"You should clean up and get some rest, Sakura. It's getting late."

The girl nodded in response. "I think I'll go and take a bath in the hot springs."

Iruka sat up. "I'll come with you."

"Why are you dirty?" She furrowed her eyebrows. "You look pretty clean to me."

"I took a bath a few hours ago, but I can't go leaving you unguarded. If something ever happened to you, I don't know what I'd do." He tied back his hair, frowning and looking at the white sheets.

A small, feminine hand rested on his, causing the man to look up into green eyes, illuminated with white light and sparkling like emeralds.

"Sakura…"

"You're worried too?" She asked.

"I guess I'm still a little shaken by it. I haven't had a good sleep since it happened."

"Me either. I'm just afraid that something will happen to-"She cut herself off, looking diagonally over her shoulder.

"Sakura, don't worry." His darkened hand was placed gently on her shoulder. "I'll protect you…"

"I'm not worried about myself." She looked back at him. "I'm worried about you, Iruka…"

"You shouldn't worry about me, Sakura." He leveled her with a kind smile, though a bit of sadness clung to it. "I'll be fine." Iruka got up, and walked over to the doorway, looking over his shoulder back at the pink haired girl who sat on the ground. "Are you coming?"

She gave no answer.

The tanned figure turned around. "Sakura-"

Sakura was silent as footsteps could be heard.

"If you don't think you have enough chakra to walk, I could take you down there." He spoke, blushing slightly at what he had implied.

"No, I can do it." Sakura said, an air of sorrow and emptiness clinging to her voice as she mechanically arose and stood in her position for a while, not turning around.

The room was silent for a few minutes, but then the girl could feel strong arms wrap around her. She let out a tiny gasp as a gentle kiss was placed upon her cheek.

"Don't worry…"

"Iruka…"

"Yes?"

"Nothing…"

"You can tell me…"

"It's just…Thank you…"

"You're welcome."

With that, the girl turned and walked around him, heading off to the hop springs.

**XI.**

The hot spring wasn't far away, but it was a long walk for someone who had lost so much chakra sparring and perfecting her skill. Sakura's steps were slow and sluggish. She almost tripped and fell several times and her knees almost buckled out from under her when they were nearly there.

Iruka cast her sympathetic look. She was really working herself up over everything. His dark eyes watched her stumble and monitored the lackadaisical movements her body generated.

He saw her fall, but caught her by wrapping his arms around her waist before she could hit the dirt below. After that, he picked her up and held her like a groom would his new bride.

Once heavy viridian eyes widened in surprise. She let out a gasp.

"You're too weak to do this by yourself. You won't get much sleep if you don't hurry. This will be faster and safer for you." Iruka replied, carrying the blushing kunoichi down to the hot springs.

Sakura felt odd to be carried in such a way by someone like Iruka. When thought about, it was quite charming. She could have never pictured Sasuke doing something like that. But she couldn't argue that she was tired and all she really wanted to do was go to sleep.

She rested her head on Iruka's chest and closed her eyes, listening to his heart beat as she began to fade into a light sleep.

The girl knew he would wake her when they got to the hot springs.

**TBC**

**A/N: Sorry to be so late with this. This is a slow moving fanfic, but I thank all of you for your wonderful reviews. Hopefully, the next chapter won't come about so slowly. Please review! The more reviews I get the faster I'll update this **


	5. Between Reason and Emotion

**A/N: Here's chapter 5 of Song of the Forgotten. Sorry about not updating this as much as some of my other works. I've been getting slow on updates. This is a story that I work on infrequently, so it doesn't get that much attention compared to others.**

**This story will have 10-11 chapters and I'm in the middle of them with this one. **

**Well, here's chapter five. It's going to have some hot springs fluff. **

**XI.**

**Song of the Forgotten**

**Chapter 5: Between Reason and Emotion**

**By: Melissa Norvell**

**XI.**

Sakura could feel the gentle movement against her body as Iruka took her down to the hot springs. He hopped down the large rocks on the steep hill down to the water. He then stopped at the water's edge, sitting down upon the hard surface with the woman still in his arms.

Brown eyes looked down softly at her. He was wondering if he should wake her up or not. She looked so peaceful lying in his arms and for once, Iruka felt a sense of peace that he hadn't felt since he had lost his parents to the Kyuubi years ago.

He finally felt as if he had someone in his life to live for, someone to come home to and someone to protect in battle. Maybe they were more then team mates. They were two lonely friends who wanted to comfort each other…Who wanted something sacred and special…

Dare he think it?

That wanted…

Love.

Did he love her?

It felt so odd to think something like that for a student he had in class years ago, but he was beginning to think that that is indeed what he felt. She had asked him the question:

"_What are we, Iruka?"_

Iruka liked the way the light bounced off of Sakura's form and the steam of the hot springs, wiped around her form, making her look softer and almost like a mirage in his lap. He liked her gentle touches she used to comfort him when they had both went through a bad experience in battle, he liked the softness of her lips when she kissed him and the way she looked at him, as if he were worth something…And almost like she needed him. Most of all, he liked the way that she didn't shy away from him, even though the two of them making out was an awkward experience for the both of them. The thing that Iruka liked most of all was the way that Sakura showed interest in him, and was equally captivated by him.

Iruka had made up his mind.

He wanted Sakura…

Now that he's seen her, felt her and spoke to her, he wanted her…More then anything else in the world. He knew that Sakura could teach him just as much as he could teach her and he wanted to feel again, to not be so sad and nostalgic over his past and his parent's deaths.

Below him, green eyes slowly opened, catching the happy look on his face as she focused in and out, adjusting her vision.

Sakura was different to the tan skinned man. He looked up to the skies, seeing through the steam of the hot springs. She made him feel different. He ran his hands through her pink, silken locks, not realizing that she was awake. The girl made no sound, just let him enjoy what he was doing at the moment while wondering why he was running his hands so gently through her hair. Iruka knew that he couldn't just walk up to Sakura and ask her to sleep with him again. He was far too shy to do that, and the man didn't want just that from her. He wanted the love and devotion as well. He wanted the things he'd witnessed over the past few weeks. He didn't know how to tell the girl about the feelings that he harbored within the confines of his soul. Even if he did try, it would just be a bunch of mindless stammering and blushing, not that he could begin to describe them.

He looked back down, noticing that green orbs were staring back at him. A flash of paranoia flashed in chocolate orbs. It was now or never.

"Sakura…" Iruka said softly.

The girl blinked and replied. "Yes, Iruka-sensei." She had been wondering the whole time why his hands had been running through her hair the entire time.

"Could I ask something of you?" He asked the female below him.

She arched an eyebrow, wondering what Iruka could possibly want to ask her. "Favor? Well, I don't see why not."

"Stand up and close your eyes."

"What?"

Iruka sighed, his bravery was beginning to waiver, he decided to get the sentence in his mind out while he could, before he ended up running away or fainting from blushing so much. "You did say that if you could you would."

Sakura cocked her head at the Chuunin. She wondered what he would do, but didn't think he'd be the type to do something violating to take advantage of her. Besides, if he did that, she'd just have to kick him in the face like she did to Naruto. After a moment of getting over nerves, she finally replied. "Alright."

The girl stood and closed her eyes. "Don't open them, no matter what." Iruka's firm voice reached Sakura's ears. She went rigid at his request, but she remained still. He gently took off Sakura's hitai-ate, she almost jumped at the touch.

"Don't move…Don't do anything…" He murmured into her ear, almost provocatively in Sakura's opinion, which was weird and seemingly uncharacteristic of Iruka. He watched in interest as her hair fell in cascades around her shoulders. He ran his hand through the silken strands once again. It was just as soft as the flower petals she was named after.

Weird feelings began to rise from the pit of his stomach.

Sakura knew that Iruka wouldn't do anything without her consent. He was respectable, after all. Besides, he sounded so…soft and sexy…

Iruka wanted to be the first one to start the courtship between them and he wanted Sakura to feel something that made her feel as special as he felt when he was with her. He wanted her to remember him in the same light as she had Sasuke all those years back.

Something stirred within him, and he shifted close to her, almost against her. She was so trusting. But he could tell that she was beginning to grow nervous. "It's alright, Sakura…Trust me."

The pink haired girl was dying to open her eyes. She wanted to turn around and ask him what his problem was and why he was doing what he was doing to her. This was Umino Iruka, her old sensei and a guy that could be really hard on you if you're not careful. Who knew what he was going to do?

But Sakura's sense of propriety was somehow overshadowed by the odd feeling of how pleasant it was to have someone touching her hair again. It had been along time since anyone played with her hair, and she figured that it was so short no one would want to bother. As Iruka's hand buried itself in her hair, she could feel her heart pound heavily as she remembered how intense his gaze was upon her when they had made out. Those eyes had left her sleepless for nights on end.

She had never seen that look in his eyes before. It was unlike any look that anyone had ever given her. His eyes, which glittered brilliantly under the moonlight, the emotion within them that, rendered her speechless at the sight. His eyes were expressive and captivating.

Sakura couldn't open her eyes for other reasons. The reasons that only he could answer. For those reasons, the girl didn't want to pull away or open her eyes. Deep down, she knew something was about to happen, and she wanted it secretly. She could feel something else being tied in her hair.

She could feel breath on her face as she opened her eyes to see Iruka, staring at her with that gaze on his face. "You…"

"I can't bring our team mate back." Iruka murmured, his hand caressing the side of her face.

"Why?" She replied, looking beside of her, seeing that he had tied the red ribbon in her hair that she had worn to his classes.

"But I can give you this." He smiled. "It's not the one that you wore to my classes, but it still holds memories, doesn't it?"

He neared her face and gave her a light kiss on the lips and whispered. "I finally know what we are…"

"What's that?" She asked shyly against his lips.

"That I…" Iruka froze in place. _Now _his nerves started to kick in. He could feel his body tremble and the feeling in his knees of growing weak. He blushed to himself and stammered a bit before producing any type of recognizable sentence.

"I love you…And I want you to love me too."

"Iruka…" Sakura finally managed to say in an almost breathy voice.

Somehow, he had figured that he was moving too fast. Iruka felt his heart sink. Maybe it was too soon. Damn those rising urges…They were now only filled with the butterflies of anticipation as they bounced around in his stomach, hitting the walls and changing direction, like ping-pong balls with no specific direction to go.

"I love you too."

"I knew it was a stupid question-"He stopped, floored by her reaction. His eyes widened and his voice was lost to the wind. This time, he had nothing to say, he could only utter 'huh' in a dumbfounded tone that made him seem stupid for a few minutes.

"I love you too. That's why I asked you what we were." She held her arm and looked shyly to the side, noticing a small black pebble on the large rock. "I was hoping you'd say that you loved me…So much for the old fashioned way, huh?"

"You were?" Iruka asked.

"Yeah…" The girl spoke unsurely.

"I thought that…"

"You thought that what?" Sakura asked. "Why would I ask you what we were and not expect you to say something? I was practically asked you to be my boyfriend." She sighed. "Are you dense?"

"No…Just shy…"

"You're shy?" Green eyes blinked in confusion.

"Yes, sorry about that." Iruka replied, putting his hand behind his head.

"I needed you, and I still do." She replied, "Never leave me…"

Pink lips brushed against his and pale arms wrapped tightly around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, kissing her back. The two of them remained in that embrace for what seemed like hours at a time, even though their kiss only lasted a few minutes. The remainder of the time was just the two of them being close together, gazing into each other's eyes.

"Well, I guess we should take a bath, right?" Sakura finally said, loosening the embrace.

"Yes…Wait, did you say we?" Iruka blushed.

"Yes, I said we."

**TBC**

**A/N: There you go another chapter of this fanfic. Sorry for cutting it off short, but there's going to be a real big scene in the next one. This chapter still has a bit of angst, but it has fluff too. Got to actually make the couple happen some way. The next chapter will be angst and fluff, so stay tuned.**


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